Newly appointed ARU chief executive Bill Pulver believes Robbie Deans and the Wallabies can regain the mantle as the best team in the world and says Robbie Deans will remain as coach regardless of the Lions Tour results.

Bill Pulver, seen here with daughter Madeleine Pulver, will become the new boss of the Australian Rugby Union. Picture: Ross Schultz Source: The Australian

BILL Pulver knows how to handle a crisis.

The new Australian Rugby Union CEO publicly weathered a traumatic storm when his daughter Madeleine became the victim of a collar bomb hoax.

The shocking crime in August 2011 shoved the Mosman father and businessman relentlessly into the media spotlight.

When Pulver was told long-time newsman Peter Harvey yesterday tweeted of his appointment, "He sure knows how to handle a crisis", the 53-year-old laughed.

Was he expecting to deal with a crisis or two in his new role as the ARU CEO?

"Not of that magnitude," Pulver said with a gentle smile.

"It is all relative, yes."

Pulver said the dark and traumatic time in August 2011 had brought his already tight-knit family closer together.

"All I would say is with that event it really highlighted the strength of our family values," the new rugby chief said.

"We had something that impacted our family. Our family came together and dealt with it. I actually think the media were very supportive in the end with us. The process ran its course and I think it was a good conclusion."

And there are great days ahead for the Pulver family as like their dad they are all "rugby tragics".

Pulver said his family, his "team", wife Belinda and Harry 21, Maddy 19, Angus 19 and Archie 15 were slightly shocked but thrilled when around Christmas time they realised he was likely to become the CEO.

"Certainly around the dinner table I will be getting lots of advice," Pulver said.

In front of a packed room at ARU headquarters in St Leonard's yesterday the successful businessman coolly noted his family had no reservations about him taking up the very public role after enduring the collar bomb drama.

"They are probably at home watching, licking their lips at what lies ahead," he said.

Pulver, a multi-millionaire Sydney businessman, said he was a rugby dad who had risen to run the code he loves.

Yesterday he described feeling like the "luckiest man alive". A year ago, let alone two years ago, he never imagined he would be awarded this job. It was his neighbour and Wallabies great John Eales who encouraged him to apply for the job.

As a kid he first played the game in Tamworth, later at Shore alongside now president Michael Hawker. He then played for the University of NSW. He has also been an administrator and coach at Mosman junior rugby club in Sydney and his son Angus was a member of last year's Australian Schoolboys team.

"I am the average dad who has immersed himself in the game all his life."

While he may "love" the game, it is brilliant business acumen that also led him to snare the job.

Post-university, Pulver started a 17-year career with global marketing research firm ACNielsen in Australia, rising to the role of managing director with time also spent in Tokyo and London.

Six years based in New York followed as president of the NASDAQ-listed internet media and market research company NetRatings Inc.

The company was taken over by Nielsen in 2007 at a reported cost of $820 million. His share options in NetRatings are understood to have made him a multi-millionaire.

Pulver's arrival comes at a critical time for rugby in Australia. The mid-year British and Irish Lions tour is seen as an opportunity to revive the game's fortunes after an underwhelming 2012 at international and domestic level.

Pulver said he plans to listen and learn in the first 30 days as CEO. But he does have a dream of developing a more profitable and popular code.

"Ultimately the sort of vision I am looking for ... is to be an innovative and profitable leader in a prosperous global rugby community," he said.

With former NRL and AFL player Israel Folau joining rugby, Pulver said there were no plans to raid the rival code.

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Comments on this story

J.R.C of Hunter Valley Posted at 3:53 PM January 09, 2013

Good to see fresh eyes on rugby union, was pretty stale there for a while... hopefully will get rid of nuisance players like Quade Cooper. @ Pete of sydney i think you got it wrong its smart mans sport for a smart family...

Lyle Upson. of Adelaide Posted at 2:52 PM January 09, 2013

more union tests on TV would help this supporter ... can this please be included in the business plan ???

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